Keeping Me Up
by LoquaciousQuibbler
Summary: Originally a single one-shot spin-off of Banditry, of Loki and Blanc sharing a bed. However, this story has now become my dumping site for all Banditry one-shots. Includes Keeping Me Up, The Royal Ball, and more may be added.
1. Chapter 1

*Okay, my lovelies… this is the one-shot spin-off I promised in Chapter 8 of Banditry. The scene starts off the same as it does in Chapter 7, when they are deciding who will sleep where. However, from then on, it's spin-off humor. If you have not read Banditry, then this will be a rather confusing story, as nearly all the characters in this story are my OC's, and the situation and first couple paragraphs are straight out of Chapter 7. So… you theoretically could read this without reading Banditry… it'd just be kind of weird without a little background. ;)

Keeping Me Up

Three neko thieves and one Asgardian prince were in a small underground hideout, preparing for bed. Two girls, two boys, and three beds. The numbers did not match up well to anyone's liking.

Noir and Marron, the two girls, exchanged nervous looks with Loki and Blanc, the two boys.

"Either someone is going to have to share, or someone is going to sleep on the floor," Noir announced.

Everyone exchanged awkward looks.

"I say the prince sleeps on the floor," Blanc said loftily.

Loki shot him a look. "I say _you _sleep on the floor, and I take your bed."

"Or how about you turn your lie into a reality and go stay in an inn for the night?" Blanc suggested.

"Or we could simply go refill that cell in the prison; there was a bed in there. How would you like to stay there the night?" Loki asked bitingly.

"Why don't you just run back to your swan feather bed back up in your ivory tower?" Blanc snapped.

"Here's an idea," Noir cut in. "Prince Loki, you take my bed, and I'll sleep on the floor."

"I refuse to deprive a lady of a bed," Loki rebuked immediately.

Noir scoffed. "I refuse to make the prince sleep on the floor. So unless you'd like to share a bed with Blanc tonight—not very likely—then you can take my bed."

Loki and Blanc glared daggers at each other at the mere suggestion of sharing a bed.

"Are you suggesting that we couldn't make it through the night in the same bed?" Blanc challenged.

Noir considered. "Hmm… yeah, that sounds about right."

"We can be reasonable people," Loki said haughtily, crossing his arms. "If Blanc and I shared a bed tonight, then you and Marron could both have your own beds."

Blanc shot the prince a wary look. "Are you suggesting that we actually share a bed tonight?"

Loki considered and grimaced.

"No take-backs!" Marron giggled. "It's been decided. The boys share a bed, and Noir and I can have our beds."

Loki and Blanc glared.

"I thought you two just said you could be reasonable?" Noir teased.

"Move over, street cat," Loki growled. With a dirty look, Blanc scooted over, and Loki slipped off his boots and cloak. He gave a wary look to the tiny cot. He wasn't sure how both he and the neko would fit. "I'll take the side next to the wall."

The bed was pushed against the wall, and Loki figured he'd rather be squished against the wall than half hanging off the bed. Blanc grumbled agreement.

"Ready for bed, then?" Noir asked brightly, rather amused by the two boys glaring at each other. They could barely stand being in the same room… how could they possibly make it through the night in the same bed?

Well, they were about to find out. Noir and Marron got themselves comfortable in their beds after the light was turned off, and the boys tried to fit comfortably. Loki was lying on his side, back flattened against the wall so that he would take up less room. But Blanc was still on the very edge of the straw mattress. Why? Because the boys were determined to not touch each other. So there was a five inch gap between them.

There was a blissful ten minutes of silence as the boys remained stone still, not daring to move. Then Loki started to get uncomfortable from being backed up to the wall. He wiggled a little and scooted over an inch. Blanc was now starting to go to sleep. So he started to roll onto his back. Both boys were startled out of their drowsiness when Blanc's back started to lean against Loki's chest.

"_Quit touching me!_" Loki snapped in a rather loud whisper.

"_Sorry if I'm trying to sleep a little_," Blanc mumbled in a whisper back, scooting to the very edge of the bed again.

Silence. Then Blanc tugged the blanket a little, trying to cover his arms a little better. He smiled smugly to himself as he finally succeeded in getting enough cloth to get himself warmer. Loki frowned as he felt the blanket covering his arms move slowly, inch by inch, until there were a good few inches of himself uncovered. He waited a few moments, letting Blanc think he had won some blanket. Then he grabbed the edge and jerked it roughly. Blanc was once again startled from near-sleep as the blanket was yanked off his arms. He suppressed a growl of annoyance and sharply pulled the blanket back over himself. He heard Loki let out a huff, and then the blanket was yanked clean off the white neko, leaving him totally uncovered by blanket.

Blanc shot straight up. "_Hey! Blanket hog!_" he accused in a hiss.

"_I prefer the term 'covetous blanket-sharer,'" _Loki sneered in a whisper.

Blanc's mouth dropped open in anger. "_Why, you spoiled little-!_" He grabbed at the blanket, tightly wrapped around the prince.

There was a long moment of scuffling as the boys fought in the dark, trying to gain possession of the blanket. Loki was unwilling to let it go; it wasn't particularly cold, but he was determined to deprive the neko of the blanket. Blanc was the same; he wasn't cold, but just wanted to beat the prince.

Noir and Marron, in their beds, sighed in exasperation, wondering how much longer they would have to put up with the boys whispering and fighting. It sounded like a bunch of snakes were taking up residence in the mattress; not a couple of boys.

More scuffling, a few quiet curses and "Give it to me!" and then a "ow!" and a thump as something landed on the floor.

_ "Ha. Told you to sleep on the floor," _Loki whispered smugly. He had managed to push Blanc off the tiny cot and onto the stone floor. The prince was also still in possession of the blanket, much to his satisfaction.

Blanc let out an angry growl. "Shut up, you royal pain in the—"

"Would you two please stop and just go to sleep?" Marron asked pitifully, her voice tired and exasperated.

The boys paused. They hadn't realized they were keeping the girls up, too. With a sigh, Blanc crawled back onto the bed and remained lying perched on the very edge, now blanket-less. Loki, feeling smug, snuggled the thin cotton blanket with a smirk. He even went so far as to scoot another inch away from the wall, so he was now taking up more than half the bed. Blanc was barely hanging off the edge, gripping the sheet to prevent himself rolling onto the floor. There was _no _way he could get any sleep like this.

Loki, however, was now finally starting to get comfortable. With the entire blanket to himself, an almost-bearable amount of the mattress, and the knowledge that Blanc had not the slightest chance of getting sleep tonight was enough to make him a little sleepy with happiness. Blanc, now feeling particularly vengeful, waited a few minutes for the prince who had invaded his bed to fall asleep. When he began to hear the prince's breathing slow and steady, obviously getting to sleep, he smirked wickedly.

Very carefully, Blanc wriggled so that he was a little more firmly planted on the bed. And then he yanked the pillow from the head of the bed and slammed it down over Loki's face and held it there, smothering the prince.

Marron and Noir, who had nearly fallen asleep, were woken by muffled shouts and protests, and Blanc's quiet snickering. And then Blanc's cry of pain, and then the sound of scuffling once again permeated the room.

Noir groaned and put her pillow over her face, trying to block out the sounds of the boys. Marron sighed and pulled her blanket over her head, grimacing.

There was another thump of something hitting the floor, and Loki groaned, rubbing his back. "_Insolent little flea-bitten fluffbrain!" _Loki hissed in anger.

_ "You got a problem, Loki?" _Blanc whispered.

"_Yes! It's got white hair and a tail, and smells like catnip and canned tuna!" _Loki snarled, leaping back onto the bed and yanking the pillow out of Blanc's grasp and whapping him over the head with it.

"_Hey!_" Blanc protested, still trying to keep his voice down, but failing rather miserably.

"_Would you two shut up?!_" Noir exclaimed in exasperation. "_Some _of us would like to get some kind of rest tonight. Take it outside if you're going to fight all night!" With a huff, she planted her pillow over her face again.

Blanc and Loki had stopped dead at the sound of Noir's voice. Grumbling, they started to lie back down.

_"You had better share the bloody blanket this time, Loki,_" Blanc hissed.

"_Oh, it's not a 'bloody' blanket yet… we can remedy that, if you want," _Loki hissed wickedly.

Blanc scoffed. _"You bet we can… would you rather a bloody nose or a broken arm, your highness?" _Blanc asked mock-innocently.

"_I was thinking more along the lines of me tearing your head off, Neko," _Loki grinned.

"_I'll show you whose head is getting torn off!" _Blanc growled, then pounced on the prince yet again. The blanket and pillow fell onto the floor, completely forgotten while the boys fought with fists on the bed. There were scattered 'oof's and 'ow's and 'quit it's and 'you're going to wake the girls' for a good long moment.

Marron, now exhausted and frustrated by her lack of rest, reached under her cot and pulled out her leather boots. She listened carefully for a moment, pinpointing the boys' locations, and then threw both boots.

"_OW!" _the prince and white neko cried in unison, both hit squarely on the head and back with the boots.

"Blanc, Prince Loki, I'm really tired. So please do me a favor… _and kindly shut your bloody traps!" _she finished with a rather uncharacteristically intimidating growl.

Loki and Blanc froze yet again, rather unnerved by the sweet, soft-spoken neko's threat.

"_Where's the bloody pillow and blanket?_" Blanc asked bitterly, letting go of Loki's throat (which he had been rather effectively throttling whilst Loki yanked viciously on the neko's tail).

Loki coughed, rubbing his neck. "_Beyond me… I lost track of the bedclothes sometime around the time my foot collided with your gut, Blanc…" _

"_Shut your trap; that still hurts. I can start strangling you again, if you want." _

After a moment of the boys searching on the floor, they managed to find both of Marron's boots, the pillow, and the blanket. Loki once again found himself pressed against the wall with a little less blanket than he would have liked, and Blanc found himself half hanging off the bed with a little less blanket than he would have liked. A long minute of blissful silence. The girls started to think maybe they could get some sleep. Then…

_"There's something sharp poking me," _Loki hissed.

"_You're seeing into the future… that's my dagger, in about five minutes from now," _Blanc grumbled.

"_Hilarious, Blanc. Really. There's something—ow! I think there's something in your bed… maybe it's a bug. Yes, I think something's biting me." _

_"There's nothing in my bed that could bite you, you twit." _

_"Wouldn't surprise me if there were fleas in your bed, neko." _

"_Yeah, there's a flea in my bed… one really big one. It's got dark hair, likes to wear green, never shuts up, it's really annoying— Hey!" _

A thump as Blanc was shoved hard, and landed on the floor. He scrambled up onto the bed and yanked the blanket away from Loki in retaliation.

"_You give that back!_" Loki hissed.

"_You can't make me!_" Blanc taunted.

Noir, finally having enough, swung her legs out of bed and stood, picking up her pillow. She strode over to the boys' bed and gave them both three good whacks over the head with her pillow. "_Shut… your… mouths! Shut…. Your…. Mouths!" _she snapped with every swing of the pillow. "If Marron or I have to tell you one more time, we're taking you to the harbor and _so help me, Odin I will tie you together and push you out to sea on a raft with only one canteen of water and a single dagger! Do you inconsiderate, belligerent, idiotic males understand me?!_" she spat.

Both boys were silent, stunned. "Er… but something bit me," Loki protested quietly.

"_Look, Your Majesty," _Noir poked the prince in the ribs. "_You've got bigger problems coming if you keep me and Marron up much longer. A bed bug or flea is the least of your worries when you've got a girl who's willing to drop you in a bilgesnipe den if you make another noise!" _

Silence. Noir huffed and went back to her bed.

The boys sighed and lied back down. A few minutes of blissful silence.

"_Your stupid tail keeps twitching. It's keeping me up," _Loki grumbled.

"_Your stupid mouth keeps flapping. It's keeping me up," _Blanc growled.

Loki reached forward and pinched Blanc hard on the arm.

"_Hey!" _

"_What?" _

"_You know what! You just pinched me!" _

_ "Maybe it was your fleas biting you," _Loki rolled his eyes.

"_You were serious? Yeah, something bit me, I think," _Blanc hissed, sounding frightened.

Loki smirked. _"Told you so." _

_ "That's it. I'm sleeping on the floor. You can get eaten alive on the mattress." _

Loki's eyes widened, not able to believe his luck. Blanc would sleep on the floor and leave Loki on the bed? Perfect. He fought the urge to laugh out loud. This was just… marvelous. Blanc slid onto the stone floor, and Loki smiled and hunkered down in the blanket, lying flat on his back. He reveled in the satisfaction of having the entire bed, blanket, and pillow to himself.

Until he felt something crawling on his arm, and a sharp pain of something biting him.

Loki yelped and scrambled off the bed, accidentally stepping on Blanc in the process.

"_Hey!_" Blanc protested. "_What the bloody blazes?!" _

"_It bit me! Whatever it was, it bit me! I'm sleeping on the floor, too," _Loki announced in a whisper. He lied down in the middle of the floor, keeping the blanket and pillow with him.

"_Don't you think the thing could still be on the bedclothes?" _Blanc asked nervously.

Loki abruptly tossed the pillow and blanket back onto the bed, startled by the realization. He sighed and curled up into a ball on the stone floor. It was even more uncomfortable than the mattress. It was colder, too. But Loki tried to get comfortable, and closed his eyes.

"What the bloody-?!" Noir asked in amazement when she lifted her head from her pillow the next morning. Her eyes had dark circles under them, and she had a headache, and her eyes were slightly red from lack of rest. But at last she had managed to fall asleep the previous night, once the boys had fallen silent. And now…

Noir tiptoed over to Marron's cot and shook her awake. "Psst. Marron. Wake up. You've got to see this."

Marron woke, bleary and still extremely tired. "What? Noir, I've barely gotten any rest…"

"Shh. Look," Noir put her finger to her lips and gestured.

Loki and Blanc were both asleep in the middle of the floor, huddled together with no pillow or blanket. Yes, there was no better way to put it than snuggling. Loki's black hair was ruffled, mixed with Blanc's white locks. They each had an arm around the other's shoulder. They were both snoring softly. Marron giggled as Blanc suddenly twitched and pushed his head a little closer to Loki's shoulder.

Noir beckoned for her friend, and then sat on the stone floor, hovering just over both the boys' heads. Marron joined her, staring down at the boys. With a mischievous smirk, Noir held up a long piece of straw. She wiggled it towards their faces, wagging her eyebrows at Marron, who tried not to laugh out loud. Marron nodded vigorously, and Noir brought the straw to the boys' faces, tickling them awake.

At first, they mumbled in their sleep and half-heartedly batted the straw away. Then Marron joined in with her own piece of straw, and the boys were assaulted with the irritatingly persistent actions of the vengeful girls.

"Quit," Loki muttered.

"Shut up," Blanc mumbled.

"You shut up," Loki grumbled.

With a smirk, Noir poked them both on the cheek, and they opened their eyes blearily.

Blanc and Loki looked up to see Noir and Marron hovering over them, looking awfully tired. And then they realized where they were. And what they were doing.

It took about half a millisecond for them to be on opposite sides of the room, glaring at each other and blushing.

"Interesting night last night," Noir commented, stifling a yawn. "Getting along finally, I see…" she smirked, cocking an eyebrow at Blanc and Loki.

"Yes, quite," Marron said mildly. "Might I ask how in Yggdrasil that happened?"

"There was something in the bed!" Loki said defensively. "Blanc's fleas kept biting us."

"_I do not have fleas!_" Blanc protested angrily.

"Then what was biting us last night?" Loki asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

The girls were already combing through the discarded blanket, sheet, and pillow on the bed to find whatever it was.

"There's nothing here," Noir started to say, but was interrupted by Marron suddenly giggling.

"Found it," Marron announced, walking to the center of the room, something cupped in her hands. "Here, come look."

Everyone crowded around and looked into Marron's cupped hands. There was a tiny green caterpillar, about the length of the first knuckle of your thumb. It wriggled about, trying to crawl its way out of captivity.

"Kill it!" Blanc exclaimed. "That's a man-eating little beast!"

"Blanc, it's just a caterpillar," Marron brought the little creature closer to her chest and glared at the white neko.

"It's a _vicious _little caterpillar," Loki huffed. "It tried to eat us alive last night."

"How did it even get on your bed?" Noir asked in wonder.

Blanc blinked. "I… don't know."

Marron looked down at the grub in her hands. "Perhaps it was on one of my boots… and when I threw them at you two quarreling, it dislodged and wanted to get back at you for keeping it up as well."

"Evil little thing was bent on murder," Blanc shuddered.

"So were we…" Loki muttered, throwing a mutinous look at the white neko.

"Yet somehow that equates to you and Blanc snuggling on the floor?" Noir asked mockingly.

Loki and Blanc both blushed again. "That never happened. We are never speaking of that again."

Noir and Marron smirked to each other, though. "Sounds like blackmail material to me."

**Note from LoquaciousQuibbler: Well, that was fun… Several of the readers of Banditry supported the idea of a one-shot spin-off of Chapter 7, where Loki and Blanc actually do share a bed. So here we are. Lots of whisper-arguing, as promised, and pillow-fighting, and boot-throwing, and insults, and very little sleep. Of course we had to have Blanc and Loki cuddling by morning… that's just a given, right? In any case, I hope you liked this. It was fun to write. **** Let me know if you enjoyed my little spin-off.**

**Please favorite and review… if you have ideas for other spin-offs, I suppose you can put them here, or on Banditry reviews, too. ;) **


	2. The Royal Ball

_Oh, my gods, you guys. Can you believe it? I actually posted this… I promised I would post it back in like… Chapter 15 or 16 of Banditry. Well, we're up to Chapter 21 of Banditry as I post this… that means it has been like five or six chapters since I promised I would make this oneshot. So, so, so sorry. But here it is. _

_This is the oneshot I announced I would make, where instead of Noir and Marron going to the official ball with all the Aesir, Loki holds a private ball for them in his chambers. I won't give anything else away, but just know that ;) _

_It ended up being… way, way, way long. Hope that's okay. Here it is. _

A Royal Ball

Noir and Marron, the two neko thieves taking refuge in Asgard's palace thanks to Loki, sat silently in the safe room.

Both princes had visited earlier, apologizing that they couldn't stay long, but they would be busy with the ball all night. Both girls were rather down about the idea of their princes being gone all day… but there was nothing to be done about it. The girls could not go to the ball; there were too many Asgardians who might suspect something, and so they were to simply stay in their safe room all night.

"What do you think it would be like to go to a ball?" Marron asked softly.

Noir considered. "Oh… What's a royal ball? It would probably be frightfully dull, and… and boring, and completely…" She sighed sadly. "Completely wonderful…."

Both girls sighed in unison.

"I would have liked to go." Marron bit her lip.

"Me, too," Noir agreed.

In the ballroom, halfway across the palace from the safe room, the two princes of Asgard sat among the crowd. They had already fulfilled their duties: sitting and looking regal while the king made his drivelly speech of valor and honor in the realm… and blah, blah, blah. Both princes were thinking of the neko girls. But only one actually had any idea of how to remedy this stupid situation.

Loki waited for the guests to begin dancing, moving away from the feasting table. He glanced around. Couples were bunching together and moving to the dance floor, completely enveloped in themselves and not noticing the happenings around them. Carefully, the second prince of Asgard stood and began walking calmly and slowly to the door to the hall. He smiled to himself as he made it to the doors.

He had his own plan… he would much rather spend the evening in the girls' company than the formal, stuffy, pompous court of Asgard. And spending the evening in the girls' company was exactly what he planned to do. To merely… enjoy a night of simple pleasures. Casual conversation rather than the formal ones he was forced to have. To smile truly instead of forcing them. To perhaps teach Noir to dance… to hold one of her hands in his, while the other rested on her waist… He shook himself. No daydreaming. He edged out of the hall and took two steps in the direction of the safe room.

"Loki!" Thor's voice hissed from behind him.

Loki stopped dead and grimaced. "Blast…" he muttered under his breath. He slowly turned, putting on a face of neutrality. "Yes, Thor?" he asked flatly.

"You are leaving already?" Thor asked, following his younger brother.

Loki slowly nodded and turned to continue walking.

"Oh, good. I shall come with you."

Loki winced. Thor coming with him would ruin his plan. "Don't you think they'll notice if both princes of Asgard are missing?" he asked. "Perhaps you should go and keep up appearances."

Thor pulled a face. "I'd rather not. Where are you going?"

"Back to my room," Loki lied smoothly.

"Ah. I was thinking I would go visit Lady Noir and Lady Marron," Thor said brightly.

Loki groaned inwardly. "Maybe you should just go back to your room, Thor…"

"No, I'd rather not. I'd like to see Lady Marron—and Noir—tonight, as long as I'm not at the ball."

Loki sighed. "Thor…" He searched for something to say, but couldn't think of anything. He merely sighed and continued walking. Thor would either shove off or just find out for himself.

They walked in silence.

"Loki, you just missed the turn to your chambers," Thor said.

"Yes, and I'm not going to my chambers," Loki said grudgingly. "I'm going to the safe room."

"Ah, you are as well?" Thor smiled. "We shall visit them together, then?"

Loki shook his head. "No, Thor. I'm taking them to my chambers."

Thor blinked. "Um… Why?"

"Because, Thor…" Loki just shook his head. "You can come, I suppose…" He sighed. This was supposed to be something for just him and Noir and Marron… but there was no getting Thor to get off his back.

"Come? To what?"

"You'll see."

The girls looked up from their moping in the safe room as the door suddenly opened, and they saw both princes, dressed in fancy Asgardian tunics and capes and armor. They stepped in.

"Loki!" Noir jumped up.

"Thor!" Marron cried enthusiastically, scrambling to her feet.

"I thought you would be at the ball all night!"

"We were going to be…" Loki explained. He shrugged and smiled mischievously. "We snuck out. Now… I have a surprise for both of you." He paused and shot a look to his older brother. "All three of you, I suppose…" He beckoned to the girls.

Curious, they stepped forward.

"You'll need these…" he trailed off and waved his hand. "Good."

Noir and Marron gasped, gawking at each other. They were each wearing a gorgeous dress fit for a queen. Noir's was forest green laced with black, and Marron's was scarlet trimmed with gold.

Loki offered his arm to Noir with a smirk.

"What's… going on?" she asked incredulously as she carefully rested her hand on his arm.

"You'll see," he assured her. He then glanced to Thor and gave him a meaningful look. "Aren't you supposed to be a gentleman and offer your arm to a lady?" he asked mockingly, glancing to Marron.

"Loki, what _is _going on?" Thor asked curiously, then bowing to Marron and offering his arm.

"How many times do I have to tell you people… you'll see?" he asked in mock exasperation.

A few minutes later, Loki had led the group to his chambers. Loki detached himself from Noir and then stood with his back to the double doors of his room. He cleared his throat.

He surveyed the curious faces of Noir and Marron and Thor. "Well…. I had just planned for it to be Noir and Marron and me," he explained. "But… Thor, since you're here as well, I suppose I have to say lords, as well." He cleared his throat and in a grand voice mocking Odin's, he said, "Ladies and lords, I welcome you here tonight… and I pronounce this ball…" he flung open the doors to his room and gestured grandly. "Commenced."

Noir and Marron's mouths dropped open as they saw the interior of Loki's chambers. The sitting room was decorated with gold and silver banners and streamers, and the couches were gone. In their place was a square table with three chairs, laden with platters of food. The rest of the room was empty, like a ballroom. The dark wooden floors were gone, and so were the carpets. In their stead, there were white marble floors. The bookshelves had disappeared, revealing tall windows that showed the night sky. There was orchestral music playing, its source invisible. It seemed to emanate from everywhere at once, filling the air with its cadence.

Loki cleared his throat and gestured for the girls to enter, looking terribly smug and proud of himself. Wordless and stunned, the girls entered. Thor followed, his eyes just as wide, and mouth far more open than the girls'.

"Loki… you make it look as if you have taken a piece of the ballroom of the palace… and brought it here!" he said in awe.

"That was the plan," Loki smiled. "I thought… Lady Noir and Lady Marron should be able to enjoy their own ball, even if they can't go to the official one."

Noir turned to Loki after gaping at the room for another moment. "You did this for us?" she breathed in amazement.

She was surprised when she actually saw his cheeks brighten with a little color. "Er… why… yes. I did," he smiled sheepishly.

Thor's look of wonder suddenly disappeared, replaced with a mutinous glare. "…And you didn't _invite me?!" _

Loki scoffed. "No… I didn't."

"But _why, _brother?" Thor asked in an almost whiny voice.

Loki just shrugged, unwilling to say that he knew Thor would tease his younger brother for anything and everything, and draw the girls' attention constantly.

Thor opened his mouth to say something, but Marron spoke first.

"Thor, it doesn't matter… you made it here now, right?" she asked coaxingly.

Thor deflated. "But… he was going to just leave me alone at the ball…"

Marron shook her head. Thor sighed and nodded.

"Anyways…" Loki said awkwardly. "I thought we'd start with a feast." He nodded to the table. The girls excitedly skipped over to the table and took the seats across from each other. Loki headed to the head of the table and then paused, catching the look from Thor. Right. There were only three chairs at the table. Loki sighed and conjured up another chair, setting it on the unoccupied side of the table. Looking satisfied, Thor took it and sat.

Loki once again moved to sit at the head of the table and looked at his friends and brother. He cleared his throat and gestured to the platters of various foods. "Help yourselves," he smiled.

Surprisingly enough, the feast went rather well, though it was a little quiet. Noir and Loki were a little too nervous to talk openly, and Thor was too busy eating to talk much. The only conversation was mostly Loki answering questions about a dish the girls had never tried before, or Marron reminding Thor to please not make a mess.

Once everyone had eaten their fill, the four looked expectantly at each other, ending with Thor, Noir, and Marron looking expectantly at Loki. "So… now what?" Noir asked with a small smile. "What else happens at balls?"

Loki and Thor glanced at each other.

"Honestly, a lot of nothing," Loki said slowly. "Everyone is free to eat, talk, and dance all night to their own satisfaction."

Thor snapped his fingers. "Dancing." He abruptly stood and looked to Marron. "My dear Lady Marron, would you do me the honors of dancing with me?" he bowed to her and looked at her hopefully.

Noir giggled at Marron's bright red cheeks.

"Ah… er… yes, I'll dance with you, Thor," she stammered, taking Thor's hand and standing.

"Loki, you're controlling this music, aren't you?" Thor asked as he led Marron over to a clear area of the floor. "Play a good waltz for us, will you?"

Loki let out a sigh that only Noir could hear, and he furrowed his brows slightly, as if in thought. The music changed slightly, so that it was in triple-time for a dance.

Grinning, Thor took one of Marron's hands and placed the other carefully on her waist, while she placed her other hand on his shoulder, blushing as red as her dress.

Noir and Loki watched in silence as Thor began to clumsily instruct the neko girl how to dance properly. It took quite a little while for Thor to properly articulate what he meant, which foot to step when and where, and a few trodden-on toes for both Marron and Thor. Finally, though, they were dancing, chuckling, and smiling at each other self-consciously.

Noir giggled to herself, looking on at her best friend and Thor getting on so well. It was so sweet, she was sure she was getting a cavity just watching. She then glanced over to Loki, half-hopeful. But his eyes were also fixed on the dancing couple, though he was frowning bitterly. He propped his arm on the table and rested his chin on his hand with a sigh. "Stupid oaf," he mumbled under his breath mutinously.

Noir smiled wryly and cleared her throat a little.. Loki's eyes flicked to hers, as if he had almost forgotten. He smiled weakly. "Hello," he mumbled awkwardly, his eyes darting between Thor and Marron and Noir. "Um…"

Noir laughed lightly, but said nothing.

Loki glanced between the dancing couple and Noir again, looking very nervous. "Would… you… like… to…" he cleared his throat.

Noir leaned forward ever so slightly in expectancy.

"…help me clear all this away?" he finished in a stammer, nodding to the plates, platters, silverware, and goblets on the table.

Noir smiled slightly. He was too nervous, she could tell. That was a shame, really, but she wasn't totally surprised. She had seen the mutinous looks thrown at Thor all night: Loki was too uncertain in front of his older brother. "Certainly, Loki." They both stood, and Noir began to stack the empty plates and platters while Loki fumbled with the goblets and silver, internally berating himself. He could feel his heart pounding, and his face getting hot, and shame filled him. But he was really a bit terrified of dancing with Noir at the moment. It had seemed like such a brilliant idea when he had planned this little private ball.

But now, somehow, with the orchestral music playing and Noir before him in a ball gown, he had absolutely no courage to ask her to dance. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. He could tell, she had wanted him to ask her to dance. He wasn't quite sure what he thought of that. On one hand, he felt happiness and pride that she wanted to dance with him. On the other hand, though, he felt a little pressured. But she hadn't seemed too upset when he hadn't asked her.

But he was such an idiot… honestly. Asking her to help clear the table. What a dunce. He should have just asked her to dance. But another glance towards the dancing Thor and Marron made him reconsider. He would never hear the end of it from Thor if he danced with Noir. He glanced back to Noir when she cleared her throat quietly.

Noir held the complete stack of plates. "…What shall I do with them?"

"Here," he awkwardly took them from her and concentrated for a moment. In an instant, they disappeared with a small _pop_ping sound.

Noir giggled. "I didn't know you could do that," she observed.

Loki grinned and shrugged. "I can do a lot of things with magic." He gestured around the room. "I mean, all of this is just… magic."

Noir raised an eyebrow, looking around at the sparkling floors and golden banners. "All of this?"

"For the most part," he conceded. "My usual furniture was magicked away into a massless pocket of space, and the rest of it is a simple illusion."

Noir smiled. "I'm impressed."

Loki absentmindedly made the goblets and silverware disappear, too. "It's nothing, really," he said with exaggerated modesty.

Noir just shook her head. "You really shouldn't try to play the humble card, Loki. Modesty is terribly out of character for you, and feigning modesty only makes you more self-important."

Loki shrugged. "Ah, well. One can try to be humble, can't they?"

Noir just shook her head again, her eyes wandering over to Thor and Marron. Now the two were very close, talking quietly in hushed tones that Loki and Noir couldn't hear. Noir and Loki exchanged awkward looks, feeling like they shouldn't be watching the other pair.

"…I can show you other things I can do with magic," Loki offered, trying to find something to concentrate on besides Thor and Marron epitomizing exactly what Noir and Loki should have been doing. Loki really didn't want to think of how perfect Thor always was. He had ruined this night enough without just making Noir and him further awkward.

Noir forced a smile, tearing her eyes from Thor delicately twirling Marron in a circle and pulling her close again. "…Yes, I'd like to see more magic tricks," she said weakly.

Loki nodded towards the now-empty table, and Noir sat in her chair again. Loki dragged his own chair over to Noir's side and sat so that he sat facing Noir, and Noir faced him. Their knees bumped slightly, but neither of them minded much.

"So…" Loki gave Noir a trademark mischievous smirk and raised one eyebrow. "What would you like to see?"

"What are my options?" Noir asked slowly, fighting to not smile back.

"Oh, the options are infinite," Loki said impressively, spreading his hands to emphasize his point.

"Infinite, hmm?" Noir challenged.

Loki leaned forward slightly towards her. "_Infinite," he affirmed with mock solemnity. _

"See? This is far more like you; claiming you can do _anything," _Noir observed. "No more feigned modesty."

Loki scoffed. "If you insist. What would you like to see?"

"Well, I know you can create illusions," she recounted. "And I've seen you make things disappear… can you make things appear out of thin air?" she asked.

"Depends. Like what?" he asked, propping an elbow on the table next to them and leaning his head on his hand.

Noir tapped her chin in thought. "I don't know… perhaps… say, a gold coin."

Loki shrugged as if this was simple. He sat up straight, held out his empty hand, closed it into a fist, and opened it again to reveal a gold coin. He smirked in satisfaction at her impressed expression.

"What about…" Noir seemed to think for a moment.

"A flower?" Loki suggested.

Noir tipped her head to one side. "Sure, a flower."

Loki closed his hand again, and the gold coin disappeared. He then narrowed his eyes slightly, and a white rose appeared in his hand. With a half-smile, he held it out to Noir, who blushed..

"Such a gentleman," she gushed sardonically.

Loki laughed at her sarcastic declaration and shook his head.

"Can you stop time with magic?" Noir asked suddenly.

Loki tilted his head. "…Perhaps. But it would be extremely complicated and difficult. If it is possible, then it is beyond me. I would not know how."

Noir smiled drily. "That's a shame. I should like time to stop and to simply stay right here, forever," she murmured, twirling the white rose between her thumb and forefinger.

Neither of them spoke for a moment, glancing nervously between the floor and each other.

And unfortunately for them all, time did continue passing. Thor and Marron continued dancing, intermittently talking quietly and relapsing into silence. Noir and Loki pointedly avoided looking at the other two, resuming discussing Loki's magic. Soon Noir was surrounded by small trinkets that Loki had conjured, and an illusion of a songbird sat twittering on the table. Loki and Noir themselves were continuously giggling and talking animatedly, making suggestions or questions or explanations, making or accepting challenges, and lost in their teasing affection.

"Noir? Loki?" Marron's voice broke the atmosphere.

Noir quickly stopped laughing, and Loki hastily let the conjured snake slithering between his fingers disappear. Both of them looked up to see Marron and Thor standing there, smiling but obviously tired. Marron was the more tired of the two, leaning slightly on Thor, who had an arm around her shoulders.

"I'm really tired, and my feet hurt," Marron announced plaintively. "Are we going to go back to the safe room soon? I…" she broke off and yawned here. "…I really want to just go to bed."

Noir and Loki exchanged looks. They had hardly noticed how late it had become, and that Thor and Marron had been dancing for coming on two or three hours.

"Did you have anything else planned for this little ball of yours, brother, or shall the girls go back to their room?" Thor prompted.

"Er…" Loki glanced at Noir. He certainly wasn't ready to say good night just yet.

"…I'm not tired yet," Noir put in quietly, noticing Loki's reluctance as well. "But if you're tired, Marron…" she glanced at Loki. "I mean, we can go back to…"

Loki sighed. "I suppose we could…"

Thor quickly picked up on Loki and Noir's hesitation. "I've an idea. I'll take Marron to the safe room and tuck her in. Then you two can…" he gestured to the myriad evidences of Noir and Loki's fooling around (various flowers, rings, figurines, and other such things). "Continue talking."

Loki and Noir both threw him a grateful look, and Thor smiled slightly and nodded.

"Can we go?" Marron asked sleepily, her eyes drifting halfway shut.

"Of course. Let's go," Thor murmured to her affectionately, and led her to the door and out of the room.

Noir and Loki glanced at each other again.

"Well, they seem to have gotten… oddly close," Loki remarked.

Noir hummed in agreement. "Awfully risqué, you know… Thor, taking Marron to 'tuck her into bed.'" She wiggled her eyebrows and accentuated her words with air quotes.

Loki bit his lip to hold back his amusement.

The neko girl leaned forward slightly, and in a mock-horrified whisper, she said, "_Scandalous." _

Loki smirked, then snickered. Then he chuckled. And then he just burst into laughter, leaning his elbows on his knees and shaking with mirth.

Noir smiled slightly, but gave Loki an odd look. "…It's not _that _funny, Loki…"

Loki looked up, still grinning. "Noir… it's…" he sniggered. "_Scandalous." _

Noir stared at him, blinking blankly. Then she cracked a smile. "Mmhmm…"

Loki shook his head. "Do you realize, that's the first time that word _hasn't _been directed towards something _I've _done? Finally I can laugh at it rather than blush."

Noir thought about this idea briefly. Then she giggled as well. "That is so _strange," _she whispered, looking at him with bright eyes.

The two giggled for another moment before returning to silence. Carefully, Loki reached out and placed his hand on top of Noir's. Her heart jumped up into her throat. "In all seriousness, though… I'm kind of glad they're gone."

Noir's eyes flicked towards the closed door. "Are you? Why?"

Loki glanced away and shrugged, removing his hand from Noir's. Both were silent for a long moment as Noir bit her lip, wondering if she had said something, and Loki simply kicked himself internally again. "…Because it always seems like we can never talk when they're around."

Noir shrugged and nodded. "Or anything else, for that matter."

"…Were you disappointed when I didn't ask you to dance?" Loki finally asked quietly.

Noir looked up at him in surprise. Was that what he was so awkward about all night? Thor and Marron dancing, and Loki not asking her? The thought amused her slightly. He still wasn't meeting her eyes, choosing instead to focus off somewhere towards the corner of the room. "Well… no, not disappointed," Noir said dilatorily. "I mean, I don't know how to dance… so it would have been a bit of an embarrassment, really, with us stepping all over each other's feet."

Loki's eyes flicked to meet hers, a hard glint of determination in them. "I highly doubt that. I'm too careful to step on your toes, and you're too coordinated and agile to step on mine."

Noir smiled slightly. "I don't know, Loki. I'm fairly sure… why, I'm willing to bet you that you couldn't teach me to dance."

Loki smirked, knowing exactly what she was doing. But he didn't mind it… not in the least. In fact, he was rather glad it had come up like this. "Challenge accepted," he raised an eyebrow at her. "And what, Noir, do you bet me? If I win and teach you to properly dance, what shall I win?"

Noir smiled coyly. "Oh, I don't know. What would you like, Prince Loki?"

Loki looked at her carefully, considering. She didn't have much to offer him if he won this bet. His eyes wandered over her face for a moment, and he leaned forward conspiratorially. "Perhaps, Lady Noir, I should win a kiss from you."

Noir immediately flushed pink in the cheeks, but her eyes twinkled with mischief and her lips quirked up at the corners in a smile. "And you wonder why we always tease and call you scandalous, Loki," she murmured.

Loki laughed a little at this, sitting back self-consciously.

"But I accept your terms," Noir added. "If you can properly teach me to dance tonight, then you win a kiss."

"And what if I lose?" Loki asked quickly. "If I can't properly teach you to dance, I suppose I'll have to give you a kiss?"

Noir laughed. "Oh, Loki…"

The prince was smiling hugely, but was also blushing. But for some reason, he suddenly felt rather bold. Perhaps Noir giggling and smiling at the idea had bolstered his confidence. After all, she hadn't rebuked him.

"You're acting silly," Noir informed him, though her stern words didn't match her suppressed smile.

Loki shrugged helplessly. "What do you say, though? Is it a deal?"

Noir sighed, looking down at her hands in her lap. Did she really want to commit to this silly idea? Whether Loki taught her to dance or not, there was only one outcome. Not that the outcome was necessarily a bad one. Quite the opposite, actually. Noir kind of liked the circumstances: whether she won or lost, she would still win something. Smiling sheepishly, she held out her hand. "Deal."

Loki shook her hand, feigning solemnity through his mischievous smirk. "Then a deal is struck. Now. Prepare to be instructed to dance." He stood and pulled Noir to her feet. They found themselves face to face as they stood, and Loki was almost tempted to close the distance then and there. Noir almost wanted to rise on tiptoe to bring herself just an inch or two closer to his lips, but she didn't.

A smile fixed on his face, Loki led Noir over to a clear spot in the expansive room, and he cleared his throat.

"So…" he began. "We must start with the correct hand and foot placement. If I take your hand…" he laced the fingers of her right hand with his left. "And you put your other hand…" he guided her left arm to rest gently against his right upper arm, her hand trembling ever so slightly as it lay on his shoulder. "And my right hand goes… here" he finished in a quiet voice, carefully settling his hand just below her left shoulder blade, almost on her waist.

Noir felt a slight thrill go through her as Loki's hand rested gently against her back, and she felt herself start to go pink again as her face got hot.

"Noir, we're going to have to stand a little closer," he added in a hushed voice, shifting forward a little as he tugged her towards him. Now there were only six inches between them, and Noir was positive Loki could hear her heart thudding. But in actuality, he couldn't hear hers over his own, pounding hard against the inside of his ribcage.

"And now?" Noir asked nervously.

"And now…" Loki paused as if for effect, but really he was trying to remember the steps. Having Noir so close, one hand laced with his and the other on his shoulder, was unbelievably distracting. "We dance. Just listen to the music for a moment. Hear the beat?"

The orchestral triple-time music had been playing nonstop for hours on end, but Noir hadn't paid much mind to its beat. _Bum _bum bum, _bum _bum bum, _bum _bum bum. The main beat came in threes, with emphasis on the first. She looked up at Loki and nodded. "I hear it," she replied.

"On that first beat, I step forward with my left foot. You will step back with your right, at the same time," he explained quietly. "On the second beat, you will step back and to the…" he paused and considered, having to flip the directions around in his head. "You shall step back and to the left, with your left foot, while I step forward and to the right with my right foot."

"Would you stop talking so quietly?" Noir asked in a whisper, smiling weakly. His soft tone, reminiscent of telling her a secret, was making her jittery.

He paused and gave her a quick once-over. He smirked as he realized he was making her nervous just by talking quietly. He let out a breath of laughter and leaned close, whispering in Noir's ear. "Sorry," he breathed. "I'm nervous, too." He pulled back and took a deep breath, trying to not be overly distracted by Noir's trembling hands and bashful smile.

He cleared his throat again, and in a slightly louder voice, said, "So after you step back and to the left with your left foot," he explained. "You bring your right foot over, so you're back with your feet together. Then we're going to repeat the steps, but so that you step forward with your left foot, and I step back with my right. Then you step forward and to the right with your right. Then bring your feet back together. Then we turn slightly, and continue the same way."

Noir took a deep breath, repeating the steps in her head. "Okay," she let out her breath.

"I hope you were listening, because we've got a lot riding on you learning to properly dance," Loki reminded her.

Noir laughed. "I think you'll be happy whether you win or lose."

"Yes, but if I win, then we won't have sore feet by the end of the night," Loki observed. "So. Shall we begin?"

Noir bit her lip and looked down, listening to the music and trying to keep track of when she would have to take each step. "I suppose."

Loki removed his hand from Noir's back and touched her chin, lifting her face to look at him. "_Don't _look at the floor, whatever you do," he instructed. "Alright?"

Slowly, Noir nodded, and Loki replaced his hand on her back. Then, it seemed, without any perceptible signal, Loki stepped forward with his left foot just as Noir stepped back with her right. Then back and to the left for Noir, and forward and to the right for Loki. Then bring both feet back together.

Noir let out a quiet breath of relieved laughter.

"Not too hard, right?" Loki asked, smiling with something like pride. "Then the same thing, in reverse."

"Hang on," Noir said. "I step forward with my right or left?"

"Left," Loki answered promptly. "And I step back with my right. Got it?"

Noir nodded briskly. "I think so, yes." She gave Loki a bright smile. "You're a good teacher, Loki," she murmured.

Loki swallowed, feeling his face get hot and his mind go blank of any possible response. Instead of saying anything, he just let out a light scoff and shrugged a little. Then Noir stepped forward as Loki stepped back, and then Noir stepped forward and to the right, and Loki stepped back and to the left. Then it appeared they were right back where they had begun.

"And that's all there is to it," Loki gently squeezed her right hand, laced with his left. "We turn slightly, and continue. Nothing to it, hmm?"

Noir nodded slowly. "Again, then? And this time, no pausing?"

Loki nodded. And he stepped forward, and Noir stepped back. They completed the steps, turned slightly, and began again without even any hesitation.

"It's actually rather simple," Noir commented as they continued on. "When Thor was teaching Marron, it took far longer for him to explain."

Loki smirked. "Thor isn't very good at explaining things. Very imprecise, do you know what I mean?"

Noir nodded. "Precision would be an important thing, wouldn't it?"

"Mmhmm," Loki answered absentmindedly, eyes focused on Noir's. His mind, however, was reveling in the fact that he had successfully taught Noir to dance. Which meant he had won their little bet. And the realization had his heart almost jumping out of his chest.

There was silence for a few moments as they merely continued.

"Is this really all there is to this?" Noir asked in disbelief.

"Yes, it is. Why? Had you been hoping for something a little more complicated?" he queried.

Noir hummed and shook her head quickly, their feet still moving in time with the music as they talked. "It's just… well, you know, Thor was twirling Marron and all. I thought there might be some trick or timing to that," she explained.

Loki shrugged. "It's not particularly a _conventional _move in the classic dance, but more of a…" he tilted his head to the side, as if searching for the right word. "Superfluous piece."

Noir smiled wryly. "Ah. I see."

Silence except for the music.

"You want to learn, don't you?" Loki sighed.

Noir giggled. "I think it looks like fun, Loki."

Loki looked at her carefully and then nodded. Noir gave him an expectant look, waiting for instruction. But he said nothing, and merely smirked at her as they continued in their stepping. Forward and right, back and left. Turn. Forward and right, back and left. Turn. Forward and right, back and—

Loki, in one movement, removed his right hand from Noir's waist and raised his left hand, twirling Noir into a spin, then pulling her back towards him.

"Whoa!" Noir nearly stumbled as Loki pulled her back to him, so that she could step forward with her left foot while he stepped back with his right. But Noir tripped slightly and fell against him. Loki quickly wrapped his right arm around her waist to balance her while his left still held her right. Noir clutched at the fabric at Loki's shoulder to keep herself upright. She quickly repositioned her feet and let out an embarrassed breath. "S-sorry," Noir gasped out, starting to draw back from Loki.

Loki let her draw back about an inch before holding his arm firm so she couldn't move any farther from him. "It's… it's okay," he murmured.

Noir looked up at him and smiled nervously. "Can… we… continue?"

He nodded and loosened his grip on her, but she didn't draw away. Instead, she straightened, but she still stood standing against him. His heart quickened, and he swallowed. His arm stayed wrapped around her waist, and they initiated the dance again.

Now Noir wasn't the only one trembling slightly. Loki's heartbeat felt faster than a hummingbird's wings, and with Noir so close, he was sure she could tell. But if she knew just how tense he felt, she made no sign of it. His eyes didn't leave hers once, until it almost became a staring contest, searching for something in each other's eyes as their bodies went through the motions of the waltz.

Noir felt butterflies flitting around her stomach, making her feel even more anxious than before as she looked up at Loki. The idea that she now owed Loki a kiss was rather heart-stopping and mind-boggling. But… that wasn't why she was doing this. She was doing this because she wanted to be close to Loki. And… here she was, his body touching hers slightly as they stood.

At the same moment, they both realized that they had stopped dancing. Their feet no longer automatically stepped forward and right, and back and left. Neither of them was sure when they had stopped, but neither said anything. They continued to be still, looking at each other with a kind of anticipation.

Loki took in a deep breath, and then hesitantly muttered, "Noir, I win."

She let out a quiet breath she hadn't realized she was holding, and glanced away. "I—I know. I—I owe you now."

Loki couldn't help but smile slightly in triumph. He had just won a kiss from Chatte Noir Voleuse. Now all that was left…

Noir glanced up at him, smiling bashfully. "This is so stupid, Loki," she whispered.

He quirked an eyebrow and shrugged very minutely. "You agreed, didn't you?"

Noir giggled. "Yes. Yes, I did." She slipped her right hand out of his left and carefully rested it on his shoulder, so now both her hands were on either of his shoulders. Still blushing horribly, and hardly able to suck in a breath, she rose up on tiptoe.

Feeling his heart on the brink of explosion, Loki leaned down slightly as well. Their eyes met when they were about three inches apart.

_Boom! _

The doors to Loki's chambers were thrown open, and Loki and Noir immediately scrambled away from each other as Thor dashed inside.

"Loki! Lady Noir! I—" Thor broke off, observing the situation. He blinked, realizing what he had just interrupted. "Ah… I… Uh…" He trailed off, merely staring between the pair in green, both of which had their arms crossed and very red faces. Thor cleared his throat awkwardly.

"What the blazes do you want, Thor?" Loki snapped angrily, utterly disbelieving that he and Noir had just been interrupted. Honestly. _What _were the _odds? _They had been _that close… _

"Erm, Loki. We need to take Lady Noir back to the safe room… immediately. Father and Mother are on their way here at this very moment. They realized that both of us had left the ball, and they think you're up to some trick or another," Thor said urgently, beckoning for the two to come.

"Blast it," Loki growled. "How do you know, Thor?"

"I was on my way back to my chambers, and Fandral came looking for me," the older brother explained quickly. "He said that Mother and Father were just closing down the ball so they could come looking for us… and they would likely be coming to your room."

"Bloody fantastic," Noir huffed, walking over to Thor. "Very well. Off to the safe room, then?"

Loki grumbled to himself, snapping his fingers and waving his hands. The music stopped, and the marble floors were replaced with the hardwood and rugs again. The silver and gold banners strung around the room vanished, and now the room was back to normal, except for the still-missing bookshelves and couches. "And I'll get the rest of it back in order in a little while," he muttered bitterly, huffing and marching over to Noir and Thor, who were looking around the transformed room with slightly-widened eyes. "Come on," Loki mumbled, beckoning. "We haven't got much time if Mother and Father are closing down the ball now. We've got to get you back to the safe room as quickly as possible."

"Er… I'll wait a few halls down, and I'll distract them and buy you a little more time," Thor offered, glancing between Loki and Noir with a slight smirk. "You go ahead." He strode briskly off in the opposite direction while the other two sighed.

"We'd better go," Noir murmured, nodding down the hall towards the safe room.

Loki nodded glumly. "Yeah." He shoved his hands into his pockets and started down the hall, a sour expression on his face.

Noir caught up to him quickly and walked at his side, biting her lip and twiddling her fingers. Neither of them spoke. Noir's brow furrowed. "Loki?"

"Hmm?" he grunted, turning down the hall and continuing without looking at her.

"…I… had a nice night," she murmured hesitantly. "I think the little private ball was a fun idea. It was really nice."

He let out a breath of tired exasperation. "Didn't go as well as I had hoped," he said indistinctly. He said something else under his breath about "stupid Thor" and "dancing" and "bet" and "interruptions."

The corner of Noir's lips quirked up in the hint of a smile, and she touched his elbow gently. He immediately paused and glanced at her in question. "Loki, it was really fun," she whispered in assurance. His eyes remained on her face for another moment, taking in her tiny smile and gentle eyes. Then the neko girl let out an embarrassed breath. "Come on. We should go before Thor has to start juggling and dancing to distract your parents." She took another few steps down the hall, and soon both of them stopped in front of the door to the safe room.

Loki glanced between Noir and the door to the safe room. "Suppose… I'll see you tomorrow," he said slowly.

She nodded silently. "And you should get back to your room so the king and queen don't get too suspicious."

Loki nodded in agreement. Still neither of them made a move, eyes fixed on each other.

"…You have to open the door for me, Loki," Noir laughed shakily. "What with the spell on the door handle and all."

Loki nodded numbly and placed his hand on the doorknob. "Well… good night, then… Noir." He slowly started to pull the door open, but he paused when Noir spoke again.

"Postponement on your winnings for the bet?" she asked hopefully. "I'll… I'll make sure you get your prize. At a more opportune time."

A smile spread across Loki's face at the idea. "Deal. I'll see you tomorrow. Maybe then I'll get my award."

"Maybe," Noir said teasingly. Then she gestured for Loki to open the door a little further, which he did. "Good night, Loki," she raised her hand in farewell and slipped inside.

"'Night," he muttered, but the door was already closing. He let out a long breath, feeling something a little like hope somewhere in his heart. But for now he would have to hurry back to his room and convince Odin and Frigga that all was well, and he had not just been holding a private ball for two young neko girls.

And then he could look forward to whatever was to come next, whatever it may be.

**Note from LoquaciousQuibbler: Well, there you have it. This is so much cuter and nicer than the way the actual ball went, huh? Oh, well. I hope we're all appreciating the fact that now there's no Blanc, no Rouge, and no Noir Soir. Things are so much simpler and cute in the alternate universe of oneshot spin-offs... *nods* Well, it is indeed way longer than I had originally planned… hmm… **

**So what'd you guys think of it? I had an internal debate raging on of whether or not Thor should come, so I had him kinda accidentally force himself into it… and then we had Thor and Marron dancing while Noir and Loki felt terribly awkward, but they still managed to have their moment, too. I actually did a search online of how to waltz, because I wanted it to be accurate when Loki was teaching Noir. **** And still no freaking kiss. I so badly wanted to make it happen, you guys… but something inside me just said "You can't have their first kiss in a one-shot before they even have a kiss in the 'cannon' story." So, no. No smooches for Noir and Loki yet ;P **

**I was thinking of doing another version of this oneshot… and have it be from Marron and Thor's point of view, you know. You know, have a little insight as to what they were talking about during their dance, and what happened after those two left Loki and Noir alone. **

**OH! AND WE HAD THE RETURN OF SCANDALOUS! AND FOR **_**ONCE, **_**IT WAS NOT ABOUT LOKI! I realized some time ago… practically every time we've had that running gag of "scandalous!" it has been directed at Loki. And just for once… **

**Okay, I'm realizing how long I'm making this freaking note… :P Here's an idea. I'll stop. **

**Let me know what you think of this, and tell me if you think I should do a Thorron version of The Royal Ball. **

**Also, tell me if you've got any other ideas for Banditry one-shots. **


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